The present invention relates to a vacuum processing apparatus which processes an object to be processed in the inside of pressure-reduced apparatus, and more particularly to an apparatus which processes, by using plasma, a semiconductor substrate (wafer) which constitutes the object to be processed in the inside of the apparatus.
In the above-mentioned apparatus, particularly in the apparatus which processes the object to be processed in the inside of the pressure-reduced apparatus, along with a demand for the finer processing and the more accurate processing, there has been a demand for the enhancement of the efficiency of the processing of the substrate which constitutes the object to be processed. Accordingly, in recent years, a multi-chamber apparatus which is provided with a plurality of processing chambers which are connected to one apparatus has been developed, wherein the processing formed of a plurality of steps is applied to a substrate as an object to be processed by using one apparatus so as to enhance the efficiency of the processing.
With respect to such an apparatus which performs the processing in a state that the apparatus is provided with the plurality of process rooms or chambers, in the respective process rooms or the processing chamber, the gas inside these process rooms or the processing chamber and the pressure of the gas are adjusted such that the pressure can be reduced. Further, these process rooms or the processing chamber are connected with the transport room (transport chamber) in which a robot arms or the like for transporting a substrate is provided.
Due to such a constitution, the substrate before the processing or after the processing is transported from one processing chamber to another processing chamber through the inside of the transport chamber in which the pressure is reduced or in which an inert gas is introduced, so that the processing can be continuously applied to the sample without bringing the substrate into contact with the outdoor air. Accordingly, the contamination of the substrate can be suppressed and a yield rate and the efficiency of the processing can be enhanced.
Further, the time for elevating or reducing the pressure inside the processing chamber or the transport chamber can be omitted or reduced and hence, the steps of the process can be shortened, the time and efforts necessary for the whole processing of the substrate can be suppressed whereby the efficiency of processing is enhanced.
Still further, with respect to such an apparatus, the respective processing chambers are replaceably or detachably mounted on the apparatus and hence, the apparatus can cope with the process of new processing by exchanging the processing chambers or the combination of the processing chambers without exchanging the apparatus body whereby the cost of manufacturing products by performing the substrate processing can be suppressed to a low cost.
As the related prior art of the vacuum processing apparatus on which these processing chambers are detachably mounted, a technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. H6 (1994)-267808 has been known. In this related art, respective processing chambers which process a semiconductor wafer are detachably mounted on a wafer transport chamber. Further, each processing chambers are provided with a movable stage which is movable along an X axis, a Y axis or a Z axis below the processing chamber, wherein due to the movement of these stages, the mounting positions of the respective processing chambers on the wafer transport chamber can be adjusted. Due to such a constitution, this related art can ease the positioning of the respective processing chambers with respect to the transport chamber, thus facilitating the mounting and dismounting operation.